


Red Strings (Are Meant to Be Broken)

by Aprilup



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, mermaid!au, tumblr prompt fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-23
Updated: 2013-09-23
Packaged: 2017-12-27 09:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/977337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aprilup/pseuds/Aprilup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: When a person turns 18 they can see the red string of fate that connects them to their soul mate. Makoto just turned 18 and can't wait to find the person that completes him. Following his string led him to the ocean. That shocks him... his soul mate is the ocean? the one thing he is most afraid of? that is a mistake, right? What he didn't notice was a pair of pretty blue eyes looking at the tall human from under the water wondering how he managed to tie him with the red thread without touching him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Makoto

The front door opened and closed with the familiar click of the lock and the shuffle of shoes against the floor. However the usual bright voice that would instantly fill the house, announcing the arrival of Makoto Tachibana, was missing. Everything was strangely quiet until the brown haired boy shuffled into the kitchen slowly, gingerly calling out for his mother. 

"Mama . . ."

The young boy had obviously been upset, sniffling slightly and his lower lip trembling as he tugged upon his mother's apron.

His mother bent down to his height, eyes softening. 

"What's wrong, Makoto?"

Head bowed, he refused to show his watering eyes. The lump at his throat burned as he tried to swallow and talk. When a soft hand come down and gently stroked his head, and another arm wrapped around him, pulling him close, he couldn't help the soft sob that escaped. He buried himself into those safe arms and desperately clung tighter onto the warmth of his mother and cried and cried. 

The storm, the big and scary storm had taken away that nice old grandfather. 

And other people too. 

It could reach Makoto too, if the sea was angry and strong enough, it could very well reach out and claim Makoto into its dark depths. 

**I'm scared.**

 

**I don't want that to happen to me.**

 

His mother didn't say anything and just held him until his wails had died down to quiet whimpers. His throat still burned and he coughed slightly, meekly accepting the glass of water his father pressed into his small hands. 

 

As he drank, he gulped down big mouthfuls of water, attempting to cover the scent of the seawater with the tap water. But nothing he did could get rid of that salty taste in his mouth, which haunted everything he ate for days and hung about him like a curse. He scrubbed his teeth furiously at night, but despite the numerous showers he took, the same scent never left, the same salty aftertaste lingered on his tastebuds. 

It was only years afterwards that Makoto realised that it was the overflowing tears he had shed that kept the salty, tragically nostalgic, taste of the sea in his mouth. 

 

******

The only other time that Makoto ever cried as much, was when Rin left.

"Makoto . . ."

Makoto felt his bed dip slightly as his mother sat down on the edge, one hand patting him gently on the back. No words were needed as Makoto silently cried, half burying his face in his pillow. He had lost what previously was such a important and strong pillar in his life and it scared him to no end. He felt his chest tighten at the thought of being alone, the same desperate and overwhelming hole he had found himself falling into that very day that storm had occurred.

"I . . . I don't want to be alone . . ."

Makoto's mother continued her calming strokes against Makoto's back.

"You're not alone, Makoto. You'll never be."

"What . . ."

His mother laughed.

"How about I tell you a secret, Makoto?"

He turned around, now facing his mother.

"A secret?" He murmured, soft green eyes blinking away the remaining liquid on his lashes.

"Yes."

His mother leaned in close.

"Did you know, when you turn eighteen, you will be able to see a red string. And that string will lead you to your soul mate. It was how I met your father."

"A soul mate?"

"Someone who will stay with you, forever. You will never have to be alone when you find your soul mate."

Makoto's eyes widened. 

"Really?"

"Uh-huh, really."

"Ahh, I want to be eighteen right now!"

He pulled his face into a pout and frowned at his mother, causing her to laugh. 

"Ahaha, you've got plenty of time until then, Makoto."

She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek.

"So don't worry, you'll never, ever be alone."

 

**6 Years Later**

 

"Happy Birthday, Mako-chan!"

"Happy Birthday, Makoto-sempai!"

Makoto was cornered the moment he had entered the school gates. 

"Ahh, thank you, both of you!"

Nagisa grinned and nudged Makoto in the side.

"Are you excited? To meet your soul-mate?"

The taller boy chuckled. 

"Nagisa, that was a very embarrassing truth I told you years ago."

Rei straightened his glasses.

"A truth?"

Nagisa clapped his hands happily.

"Oh, Rei-chan, this is a good story! Mako-chan and Rin-chan and I were playing Truth and Dare during a sleepover and then, when Mako-chan had to tell a truth, he started talking about Red String of Fate and-"

Makoto shook his head fondly at Nagisa's re-telling of that sleepover. 

"Alright, I'll see you two later."

"Ah, goodbye Makoto-sempai."

"-soul mate. Ah, later, Mako-chan! Anyways, where was I . . . right, so we started discussing what type of soul mate we wanted and-"

 

*****

"Happy Birthday dear big brother, Happy Birthday to you~"

The twins jumped all over Makoto as he blew out the candles.

"You're so old now, big brother!"

"Quick, cut the cake, I want to eat the cake!"

"Ahaha, alright, alright, I'm cutting it now, ok?"

*****

Makoto couldn't sleep. 

Turning on his side, he was met with the glaring red numbers of his alarm, angrily reminding him that it was now the early hours of the morning and he had not slept a single minute. It flashed passed each second but even its steady pulse couldn't lull Makoto back to sleep. 

He was eighteen now.

Truthfully, he had long grown out of any childish fantasies, but Nagisa had reminded him this morning of something that he had firmly believed in for a very long time. And now, he just couldn't stop thinking about it. 

Sighing, he rubbed his hands across his eyes.

Despite being tired, he was still so tense for some reason and just couldn't relax enough to sleep. He rolled around until he was flat on his back. 

As he pulled his hand away, he felt a small tug on his pinky. 

He lifted his hand up above him and stared.

There, wrapped snuggly against his pinky, was a thin piece of string. 

Makoto bolted up from his bed and continue staring at his pinky in disbelief.

 

**It's red.**

 

**It's a red string.**

 

"N-no . . . way . . ."

He breathed, reaching out with his other hand and running his fingers along the string. 

It was felt soft like wool, but it was much thinner and less fluffy. Eyes tracing the string, Makoto blinked in surprise as the string continued to extend through his room, sometimes disobeying the laws of gravity and sometimes acting like normal string. It eventually disappeared under the door to his room.

The brunette pressed both his hands against his cheeks and hit himself twice.

 

**I must be dreaming.**

 

He squeezed his eyes shut and when he opened them again, the string was still there. Makoto sat on his bed, looking at the string in confusion and scratched his head. 

Then, just when he was about to lay back down and try to sleep this off, the same tug that he had felt before happened again. Except this time, it was stronger and it managed to move his whole hand several centimetres.

"Wha . . ."

It was almost as if the string was trying to call Makoto to get up and follow it.

Makoto continued gaping like a fish at the string.

Eventually, when the third tug came, Makoto came to a decision.

*****

**I must be mad.**

 

Makoto had followed the string down the stairs and out his house, past the rest of the buildings on his block. There wasn't anyone on the streets- of course, it was far too late or more like early in the morning for anyone to be around. Makoto still felt extremely self-conscious. He kept looking around for someone to appear, for someone to tell him that he was just imagining the piece of string that was attached to his left pinky. But no-one came and Makoto kept on walking. 

Eventually, Makoto found himself at the familiar sea side, the waves dark like the night sky, reflecting the half full moon. 

The string extended onto the sand and it was here Makoto stopped.

Why would the string lead him here?

There was no one on the beach yet the string continued on, bright against the pale sand. 

But he had come so far, Makoto wasn't going to stop now. 

With a determined look on his face, he took off his shoes and roll up his pajama pants and continued following the string. The scent of the ocean and the strong winds increased as he drew closer to the waves until eventually, Makoto found himself standing just one step before the waves which crashed and splashed continuously. He could taste and smell the familiar salty tang against his tongue and he resisted the urge to choke. And still, the string was tugging and it was getting more insistent. In the distance, the sky started growing lighter, signalling the start of the sunrise. 

Makoto felt like crying.

What kind of joke was this? His soul mate was the ocean? The one thing that he had been most terrified of his whole life is now his soul mate? 

Why did he believe such a thing, why was this happening?

He took a shaky step and then another and soon before he knew it, he was just following the tugging against the string. The increasing light from the horizon made the string much thinner and harder to see, causing Makoto to panic slightly. Did he imagine the string after all? A small nagging part of Makoto was whispering, if he didn't take this chance now, then he would never be able to find that person. 

So he increased his pace, ignoring the cold sea water that soaking through his pajamas.

"Please, please, please . . ."

He realised that he had started mumbling under his breath with each step. That small child from many years ago still crying inside, still nervous and scared, and wanting to be comforted. 

"Just this once. . ."

He was neck deep into the water, unwilling to push his head down. The string continued underwater, but Makoto couldn't bring himself to duck under and look. 

"Please . . ."

His feet suddenly stumbled against a rock, which then gave way as the sand suddenly dipped below and then his entire head was submerged.

Flailing, Makoto attempted to stay afloat but memories started flashing up in his mind, causing him to panic. Water gushed into his lungs and the icy coldness was numbing and burning at the same time. He desperately reached out to grab onto something, anything, before his head grew fuzzy and his vision faded.

 

**This is it . . .**

 

**I'm going to die like this . . .**

 

Makoto stop struggling, limbs feeling heavy.

 

**I just want . . .**

 

All Makoto remembered before he finally passed out was bright blue; the perfect shade, the perfect colour of when the sky and the sea blended together against the horizon.

**. . . to know . . .**

 

*****


	2. Haruka

Stay away from the shore.

Stay away from the shallow waters and always, always be with someone else when leaving the deeper rifts. 

It was all for safety and protection, they said, but Haruka knew what they were trying to stop from happening. Once, many, many years ago, a human had made contact with them and both sides had exchanged many useful things. The legends branch off from here with different scenarios, but all ended the same way. They were hurt. And the ones who had hurt them possessed no tails and no love for the ocean. 

The ones who come with odd things they call boats, the ones who had no respect.

The ocean is being ruined by them, the currents whisper into Haruka's ear. 

_Forget all dreams of having two legs and walking, for they have hurt us and we shall hurt them. We cannot exist together, for continuous pain shall be dealt. Leave your dreams, little one, and think only of the ocean._

 

_You cannot survive without us._

****

Haruka couldn't sleep.

The red string had appear upon his right pinky earlier that evening but he was careful to act as if everything was normal. The legends whispered of coming-of-age, when a connection would be established with a potential soul mate. Haruka didn't believe in such myths, yet, he couldn't deny the appearance of this odd appendage, which resembled a type of skinny seaweed. 

He tugged experimentally on it but nothing happened.

What was Haruka expecting? That a random mer-person would just magically appear and declare themselves his soul mate? 

Of course not. Not him.

But he was going to swallow all his words and thoughts soon when the string began to tug urgently against his pinky. 

Sighing, Haruka let himself be pulled along, following the string that seemed to stretch on forever through the dark expanse. Slowly, he began approaching the shallow waters and that was when Haruka became worried. He was getting too close; it was far too tempting to poke his head out from the water and take a glimpse of the other world. The string hadn't let down its insistent pulling and he kept on following it. 

Perhaps, just maybe . . .

Haruka shook his head. No, such thoughts were impossible. 

There was no way-

"Please!"

A desperate cry rang out across the sea just as Haruka decided to take a peek from above the waves. A figure was wading across the ocean, looking utterly terrified yet unable to stop. What an odd human, what was he doing? Haruka continued observing, temporarily ignoring the tug of the string. 

"Ah-!"

Blue eyes widened in surprise as the figure slipped and was engulfed by the ocean. 

Instantly, he moved towards where the human had slipped and disappeared, his chest pricking with faint traces of fear for some reason. The string against his pinky was pulling with much more strength now, but was quivering with tension. 

He reached the human and was suddenly struck by the graceful figure floating through the waters. 

**So beautiful . . .**

The moment lasted for only second, with Haruka hurriedly moving and wrapping his arms around the bigger figure to start pulling him to the surface and towards the shore.

****

Haruka wiggled himself over, grimacing as the sand rubbed against his scales. 

The human still hadn't moved and he was sure that he was supposed to something to wake the sleeping figure. After all, humans couldn't breathe underwater could they? Haruka started prodding the body, wishing that the human would just wake up so he could confirm that he was indeed alright. It didn't feel right to leave unless he was sure he had saved this human. 

Leaning over, Haruka studied the human's face.

It was quite a nice face, nicely shaped.

A strange thought popped into his mind. What if, humans were like merpeople with their mouths? So if things could go into the mouth, then surely, if he breathed some air in, then the strange human would awaken. Nodding slightly at his sudden good idea, Haruka leaned closer to the human and ever slowly lowered his head. 

**Mother would kill me if she saw me now.**

Just as his lips were going to touch the human's, green eyes suddenly shot open causing Haruka to scramble backwards in shock. 

"Wha-"

The said human was now half sitting up, weight propped up by one arm and coughing as the seawater gushed out from his lungs. 

Haruka was frozen.

Now that the human was awoke and moving, he suddenly felt a deeper fear clutch at his heart, memories and knowledge of all the horrible stories and legends suddenly coming to mind. What if this human was like the rest of the humans in the stories, mean and cruel, terrifying and merciless-

"Ughhh. . ."

The human spoke and Haruka curled in further into himself, his tail trembling behind him, creating small swirls in the sand. 

"What . . ."

The said human turned and finally laid eyes on Haruka.

Against the rising sun, Haruka's scales glittered and his eyes were quivering along with his pale body which shivered against the odd sensation of air instead of water. Water droplets ran down his bare chest and dripped off his hair, landing messily across his back and his face. Instinctively, Haruka leaned closely towards the waves. Perhaps this had been a bad idea after all, heart beating fast, Haruka turned and hurriedly made for the waves.

"W-wait!"

Haruka turned, blue eyes wavering with uncertainty. Half of him wanted to make a bolt for it but the other half was almost pulling him towards this human. Looking down at his hand, Haruka realised that the string, now clearly red in the sun, that was wrapped around his pinky was fading. His eyes traced the path of the string . . .

**What.**

 

The human was staring back too, green eyes staring back widely at Haruka's blue ones.

A thin line of red sat between the two of them, starkly contrasting the pale white sand. 

" . . . You saved me."

Haruka didn't speak.

The human cautiously moved closer, Haruka watched him as he did, not moving from his spot.

"I . . ."

He stuck out his hand towards Haruka.

"Thank you. My name is Makoto Tachibana."

An awkward silence stretched out between them, with Haruka unable to do anything but stare dumbly at the human in front of him. The human had a very nice smile, it instantly calmed Haruka a little. 

"You're supposed to take my hand."

Haruka cocked his head to the side. Wordlessly, he slipped his hand into the bigger outstretched one that beckoned him. It was warm and it made Haruka feel calm and surprisingly joyous for some reason. Like some part of him had slid into place with another jigsaw and now everything was perfectly slotted.

"You're . . ."

They both knew it, Haruka could tell from his eyes. 

_**soulmates** _

 

"And your name?"

Yes, it was very nice. Haruka felt himself become very warm inside, he was filled with an odd sense of contentment different from the pleasure of being within the ocean. 

Perhaps, he could get used to this.

" . . . Haruka."

He leaned closer towards the human- no, Makoto.

"I'm Haruka."

******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted on Tumblr: http://backyardofthoughts.tumblr.com/post/61851893327/red-strings-are-meant-to-be-broken-2-2

**Author's Note:**

> Posted on my Tumblr: http://shigaa.tumblr.com/post/61831519352/red-strings-are-meant-to-be-broken-part-1-2


End file.
